Bats take over decaying Confederate fortification along Mississippi River in Tennessee

An abandoned Confederate Army fortification along the Mississippi River is facing another occupying force after 155 years — this time involving bats.

Multiple species have taken over the shadowy bowels of historic Fort Wright, built in 1861, according to biologists with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

As unnerving as that sounds, the spooky part is that they’re all crammed into the fort’s crumbling explosives warehouse, known as a magazine, the agency said in a Facebook post.

“This particular structure was originally a Civil War magazine that was used to store black powder for cannons located on the Mississippi River bluff,” state officials posted on Facebook.

Photos shared by the state showed bats fluttering against the structure’s barreled ceiling, while others are seen cramming themselves into cracks in the brick walls.

“It appears to be a good spot for them through the winter, since it exhibits many of the same characteristics as a natural cave,” state wildlife biologist Rob Colvin told McClatchy News.

“Basically, you’ve got two arched tunnels, 15 yards deep into the side of the bluff. It’s just quiet and damp,” he said.

Researchers knew the bats were there, and recently entered the site to make a count. As many as 30 have been seen at one time, including tri-colored bats, big-eared bats and big brown bats, he said.

All appeared to be free of White Nose Syndrome, a plague that is killing the nation’s bats, Colvin told McClatchy.

The remnants of the fort sit along in a defensive position along the Mississippi River’s Chickawa Bluffs in Tipton County, where the Confederate Army intended to fend off a Union naval attack, according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia.

“Today, all that remains is the powder magazine dug by Confederate forces at Fort Wright. It is one of the few remaining Civil War powder magazines in Tennessee,” the encyclopedia says.

The magazine is adjacent to the historic fort on private land and can be visited only with the permission of the owner, Colvin told McClatchy. The owner is allowing the bats to stay in the magazine, which is gated to keep out trespassers, he said.

This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Bats take over decaying Confederate fortification along Mississippi River in Tennessee."